Everything - A Careese Christmas Tale
by jakela
Summary: "Thanks for comin' to pick me up, John," Taylor smiled. "I would have called my Dad, but he's out of town," twisting around, the teen tossed his backpack in the narrow back seat, "and I didn't want to break up Mom's date." Reese blinked at him. "Her...what? A holiday tale with some angst, silliness and of course, romance. Always Careese.


"Thanks for comin' to pick me up, John," Taylor Carter smiled as he stepped into John Reese's sleek black Porsche.

"No problem," Reese smiled back at him. "With the water main break, you would have been stuck there for hours."

As part of a sociology project for school, Taylor had decided to observe the patrons at one of the city's museums, which had extended its hours and lowered ticket prices on Friday nights. A water main had broken, rapidly filling the streets around the building and the subway tunnels below.

Christmas was a little more than a week away; thousands of holiday shoppers would soon be stranded as the streets, sidewalks and all methods of transport above and below ground for blocks around would be literally frozen in their tracks.

With an astuteness, agility and fearlessness that Reese was inordinately proud of, Taylor had navigated his way through an 'Employees Only' section, catapulted himself over a loading dock, slid down a ramp over a flooded street and was waiting calmly as Reese nimbly did a 180 degree turn and smoothly drove his car backwards on a one way street to where Taylor was standing.

Reese smiled to himself as he drove away. They'd had a flood of Numbers over the last several weeks, and he'd barely spoken to Joss at all, forget about actually seeing her.

He didn't want to admit to himself how much he was looking forward to hanging out with her and teasing her about her 'Friday Night Flicks' routine, which he called 'Fright Night', not because Joss selected horror films, but because he usually groaned at her movie choice, before he plunked down, as Joss noted with her patented glare, "unwanted and uninvited" beside her for the evening.

That glare would turn into a self-satisfied smirk as she would surprise him with some of his favorite junk food that she bought just for that night, and then she'd smile softly as he surprised her with some of her favorites that he'd bought just for her.

Well, tonight, he'd bring Joss her true favorite, Reese thought, with his own self-satisfied smirk – her son.

"Yeah, I don't know what time I would have gotten home. I would have called my Dad, but he's out of town," twisting around, the teen tossed his backpack in the narrow back seat, "and I didn't want to break up Mom's date."

Reese blinked at him. "Her...what?"

"Mom's on a date." Taylor's eyes were on the gleaming controls on the dashboard. "Some big holiday thing at the Carlyle."

"Oh," Reese said softly.

They rode in silence for a while as Taylor fiddled with the entertainment console.

Reese's fingers gripped the steering wheel as he fought to keep his voice even. "What…kind of…date?"

Taylor finally turned to look at him. "What do you mean?"

Reese was cringing inside, but he had to know. "Was it…serious?"

The teen shrugged. "I don't know. The guy kissed her and everything, so I guess so…" He crinkled his brow in a very Joss Carter like way. "You okay?"

Reese kept his eyes on the road. "I'm fine, T. Just…" he took a long deep breath, "fine."

XXX

 _No._

 _No, no, no, no, no._

Putting down her champagne glass, Joss Carter sighed.

Her John-sense was tingling and that was never a good thing.

She always knew when he was nearby; her RADAR – _Reese Around, Danger Approaching Rapidly_ – would start pinging madly, as she felt a shift in the air.

Murmuring to her date, Joss rose and left the ballroom.

As she expected, John was waiting for her in the shadows of the ornate lobby.

Her lips twitched as she headed towards him; his tall lean form looked so out of place among the bright holiday decorations, yet they also emphasized how handsome he was.

"Hello, Detective," he said softly, and there was something that flashed in his eyes, that made Joss's smile fade.

"What's wrong, John?" she asked.

Something flashed in his eyes again, but then his face assumed the stoic mask she was so familiar with. "There was a water main break at the museum. They've had to knock out the power. The area's being evacuated and they're going to have to reroute the subway."

Her heart leapt into her throat. _"Taylor?"_

"He's fine, Carter. I picked him up and he's at home. He didn't want to disturb you, but I didn't want you hear about it offhand and worry."

"He's okay?"

"100 percent, Detective," Reese assured her.

Joss breathed a huge sigh of relief. "Good."

Reese tilted his head at her. "Still gonna call him?"

She gave him her patented glare. "Of course."

He smirked at her. "I'd expect nothing less, Carter."

Chuckling, Joss shook her head. The man knew her all too well. "Glad to know I meet your expectations."

"You always do, Joss," he said softly. "You always do."

As their eyes met and held, they heard a gentle, 'ahem'.

An elegant, silver haired couple had suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

"It is the season, young loves," the woman smiled.

Eyes twinkling, her husband pointed skywards.

Joss felt the blood rush to her cheeks as she looked up.

There was a giant display of mistletoe directly over hers and John's heads.

"Oh – no," Joss sputtered, as she swiftly stepped back.

She saw John's ears turn red. "We're just friends," he said stiffly to the elderly couple.

They looked at them in disbelief, then with a graceful and regretful nod, the couple headed towards the ballroom.

John held up his hands. "Carter, I –"

"No, it's okay, John." She tilted her head at him. "What did you say, Friday nights are Fright Night?" She pointed upwards. "Well, there's one way to scare a homicide detective and a vigilante out of their wits."

He smirked at her. "It _is_ a parasite, Carter. I'm not sure what's romantic about something that sucks the life out of you."

They shared a wry glance, then Joss stepped forward, her eyes softening. "Thank you, John, for looking out for Taylor, for looking out for…" her voice lowered even more, "both of us."

He shrugged. "Any time, Joss…" his voice lowered, too, "any time."

There was that something in his eyes again, but then he jerked his chin towards the ballroom. "I shouldn't keep you, Detective."

"No…" Joss nodded slowly. "I mean, yeah, I should go…"

He nodded. "Have a good night, Carter."

"Yeah…you, too." Joss turned to go, then turned back again. "You sure there's nothing wrong, John?"

"Nothing, Carter."

As Joss turned back to head towards the ballroom, she thought she heard John say something, but the band was starting up again, and her date was waiting for her at the ballroom's entrance with a curious look on his face.

Her John-sense was still tingling, but as Joss turned to take one last look at him, John was gone.

XXX

Fuck.

Fuckityfuckfuckfuck.

Reese cursed himself as he strode out of the hotel.

The word had tumbled out of his mouth before he could stop it.

" _Everything."_

He'd said the word everything as Joss headed back to the ballroom.

A single word that said, as he cursed himself again, _everything_.

Everything in the way that Joss looked in that red gown, from the flash of mile long legs, to her tiny waist, full, high breasts, strong shoulders, graceful neck, and that face, those gorgeous lips, smooth cheekbones, and those eyes, eyes that held the world in them.

Everything in the way his heart soared knowing that she trusted him, truly trusted him, to take care of Taylor.

Everything in that he could have called or texted her or even sent a messenger to let Joss know that Taylor was alright, but Reese had to go to the hotel, he had to see her.

Everything in how he'd somehow wound up under the world's largest ball of mistletoe.

Everything in how he wanted to kiss Joss senseless.

Everything in the brief, cold eyed stare he'd exchanged with the man she came with, the man who had the right to be with her tonight.

Everything in how she turned and walked off to be with that man.

Everything in Reese finally admitting that he was in love with Joss, desperately in love with Joss, but like those silly romantic films that he teased her relentlessly about, but secretly loved watching with her, he'd waited too long to tell her.

He sighed. It always worked out in those silly films, but this was real life, and Reese knew all too well from painful experience, that things didn't work out in real life.

Sweeping into a late night liquor store, Reese grabbed a very large and very expensive bottle of Scotch off a shelf.

"Why so glum, chum," the clerk jingled the bell at the top of his Santa hat as another clerk wrapped up his purchase. "Get in the holiday spirit!"

Both the male and female staffer had on sweatshirts that proudly proclaimed, "You can 'Mistle _our_ Toes' Anytime!"

Underneath was a drawing of a woman in a red gown and a man in a black suit clearly leaning towards each other in a kiss, the upper halves of their bodies obscured by a giant ball of mistletoe.

They shrank back at the look on his face.

Flinging a hundred dollar bill on the counter, Reese stormed out.

He planned to get blindingly drunk, pass out and then slowly, carefully, painstakingly take the steps to forget.

Everything.

XXX

"You didn't have to bring me home tonight, Damon. I know things are going to get crazy at City Hall with the water main break," Joss smiled as Mayor's Deputy Chief of Staff Damon Castle's driver pulled his limousine up in front of her house.

"Now, what kind of city servant would I be, if I didn't make sure you got home safely, Jocelyn?" he teased.

She raised an elegantly arched eyebrow. "So this isn't special treatment, Deputy Chief of Staff Castle?" she teased back.

Every constituent is important, Jocelyn, especially," Castle kissed her hand, "the beautiful ones."

Joss felt the blood rush to her cheeks. "I had a good time tonight, Damon," she murmured, as she pulled her hand away.

"I'm glad." Castle tilted his head at her. "But you did seem…somewhat distracted, Jocelyn."

Joss avoided his eyes as she dug in her purse for her keys. "I told you – that whole thing with my son and the water main break – it caught me off guard."

"And here I thought it was your ex."

" _ **What?"**_ Joss looked at him like he was crazy. "He's not my ex!"

"Really?" With the political astuteness that had those in the know putting him in the Mayor's seat in five years, Castle smiled at her. "Then, what is he? The man was able to sweep your son out of a situation that has stranded thousands, delivered him safely to your home, and then he crossed town to tell you personally about it. I know he's not your ex-husband, but clearly he's important to your son, _and_ ," Castle's dark brown, almost black eyes pierced hers, "to _you_. So, if he's not an 'ex', Jocelyn, what _is_ he?"

Joss stared at him. "He's…"

Joss thought about all the things that John was to her.

An ally, a partner, an infuriating pain in the ass, her guardian angel, the man she trusted with her life, and more importantly, with Taylor's life.

John was one of the people she prayed for every night, a friend, a companion, family. She wanted to hug him and shoot him, sometimes at the same time.

"He's…"

He drove her crazy, but she couldn't imagine her life now without him in it.

John was so many things that Joss wanted to think about, and so many others that she didn't.

"He's…" she said once more, but the words she knew she should say, the words she knew Damon wanted her to say, wouldn't come.

Castle nodded slowly. "Why don't you take the time to figure out what he is, Jocelyn, and if he truly is an 'ex', call me." He tapped on the panel. "Let's get you inside."

His chauffeur helped her out of the limo and the Deputy Chief of Staff walked her up her front steps.

"Take care, Jocelyn." Castle kissed her on the cheek.

He waited for her to get inside, then turned around and disappeared into the darkness.

XXX

"Dammit, John," Joss cursed as she threw her purse and keys on a side table.

She took a deep breath, then as she always did when she got home, Joss stepped into 'Mom Mode'. Noting that Taylor's sneakers were in the shoe basket and that his backpack was hung up on its hook, she made her way upstairs to his bedroom.

Taylor was sound asleep, his lanky teenage body sprawled across his bed, 100 percent safe, as John had assured her.

Joss smoothed his blanket, leaned forward, kissed his cheek and then made her way back downstairs.

"Dammit, John," she said again, as she began to pace back and forth. "Dammit, dammit, _dammit_ , John."

The man had busted his way into so many aspects of her life, but this was too much.

Now he was messing with her love life.

Joss stormed back and forth, her heels, which had begun to pinch her feet, fueling her anger.

She liked Damon, Joss raged, really liked him, ignoring the small voice in the back of her mind that told her that they'd never had a single significant conversation.

The only thing she would remember, the tiny voice reminded her, was tonight, when he said good-bye.

" _Dammit, John!"_

Joss came to a sudden stop as she realized what he'd said as she headed towards the ballroom.

 _Everything._

What did _that_ mean?

She was going to find out, and then she was going to tell him to stay the hell out of her personal life.

Joss texted a message to Taylor, grabbed her purse and keys and left.

XXX

Almost a whole bottle, Reese mused, and he wasn't even close to being drunk.

He raised an eyebrow at the sudden pounding on his apartment door.

Reese could count on one hand the number of people who knew where he lived and still have fingers left over.

Well, he shrugged, as he drew his weapon, if it wasn't one of them, the threat of imminent death would certainly keep him occupied.

"Open up, John!"

 _Joss?_ Reese blinked.

"I know you're in there! Open up!"

He put his weapon down.

She started kicking the door. _"Come on!"_

Reese crossed the room and opened the door to a gloriously beautifully furious Jocelyn Carter.

"I heard you," Joss stormed past him as she entered his apartment.

"Hello to you, too, Detective." He followed her into the living room space, watching her as she paced back and forth. "How…do you know where I live?"

She stopped pacing. "I'm a Detective, John. I've always known where you lived. Just like I know about that moldy old library that you guys use as a HQ. I even know how you get your information, but that's not important, right now –"

Reese knew he wasn't drunk, but he suddenly felt dizzy. _"Not…important…"_

Joss waved her hand at him. "Not right now." She started pacing again. "I want to know what you meant earlier."

"Carter," Reese ran his hand over his forehead, "it's two o'clock in the morning. What…is going on?"

Her ball gown swept across the floor as she stomped back and forth. "I'm tired, and I'm angry, and my _feet_ hurt, and I," she stopped pacing, her brow crinkling, "got dumped tonight," she said softly.

Reese bit his tongue to keep from smiling. "I'm sorry."

"You should be," she glared at him. "It's your fault." Sighing, Joss suddenly slumped down on the couch.

Reese grabbed a glass from the kitchen. Sitting across from her, he poured out the rest of the Scotch and then handed the glass to her.

Taking a huge gulp, Joss leaned back on the couch again. "Thanks."

"I really am sorry, Joss," Reese said. He was, not that she and Castle were over, but that she was upset about it.

Joss took another huge gulp. "Don't be," she shrugged. "I'm just sorry, that," she shrugged again, "that I'm not sorry about it. He thought…" she took another huge sip, "that you and I were…"

"Oh." He let what she'd just said sink in. _"Oh."_

Their eyes met and held, then Joss slowly leaned forward. "What did you mean, earlier, at the hotel, when you said, 'Everything', John?"

His heart sunk when he realized that she had heard him. "It was nothing, Carter."

"John…"

"It's late, Carter. I'll have a car take you home."

"John…" She leaned forward even more. "Please. Tell me."

Reese was drowning in those huge dark eyes.

Hell, he thought, at least he'd get to taste those gorgeous lips he'd fantasized about kissing so much before she killed him.

Maybe he really was drunk, that he was even considering doing this.

Reese stood up, walked around the coffee table and pulled Joss to her feet.

"I'd rather show you instead."

Sweeping her into his arms, Reese kissed her.

He heard her sharp intake of breath, then Joss kissed him back.

"Oh," she sighed softly, several glorious minutes later. "Is that everything?"

"Not even close, Joss." Picking her up in his arms, Reese carried her over to his bed. "Not. Even. Close."

And John Reese proceeded to show Jocelyn Carter all the mind blowing, toe curling and multiple orgasmic ways he could, just what everything meant.

XXX

Reese groaned as the best sleep he'd had in years was interrupted by someone pounding on his front door.

Maybe if he just ignored it, he could focus on the angel in his bed.

He touched Joss' satiny smooth cheek. She sighed, but didn't waken.

Reese leaned over to kiss her, but the pounding continued.

He wouldn't need a weapon, Reese knew, as he got out of bed, he'd just kill whoever was here with his bare hands.

Nah, he wouldn't even need his hands – he'd just kill 'em with a look, he vowed.

Cursing under his breath, Reese took a pair of sleep pants from one of the pull out drawers under the bed, slipped them on and then walked slowly to the front door.

"It's me," a voice whispered loudly. "Taylor."

Apparently, the Detective gene had been passed on to the next generation.

Reese opened his front door a crack. "Hey, T. Everything…okay?"

"Yeah, everything's fine." He held up a tote bag. "I brought some stuff for Mom - things she usually wears on the weekends – t-shirt, sweater, yoga pants, sneakers – threw in her toiletries bag, too." He frowned. "I forgot socks, but…" his face brightened, "she can borrow some from you, right?"

Reese threw up his hands. "Why not?"

"Oh, and I threw some tea in there, too, that Rooibos stuff. She usually has a cup before she goes to bed on Saturday nights, says it sets her up for the next week…" he shrugged, "she can drink some here, tonight, if she wants."

Reese understood what Taylor was saying to him. "I'll make sure she has a cup tonight."

"Okay," Taylor nodded, and Reese knew that the young man understood what he, in turn, was saying to him.

They smiled at each other as Reese opened the door just enough to take the tote bag from him.

"Just make sure you get her home at a reasonable hour tomorrow, okay?" Taylor said sternly. "Sunday _is_ a 'school night.'"

" _Yes, sir."_

Now they grinned at each other.

As Taylor turned to leave, Reese asked, "T, how did you know where I live?"

"Mom texted me where she was going, last night."

With a wink, Taylor turned and walked away.

Reese breathed a sigh of relief as he closed the door.

But he was still going to look for a new place.

And add one, maybe two, he thought, as he listened to Taylor's fading steps, to that very short list of people who knew where he lived.

He turned around and looked at the angel in his bed.

Definitely just one, Reese thought, with a smile.

He headed to the kitchen to make her breakfast.

XXX

Joss opened her eyes with a start.

It was morning, she was naked and she was in John's bed.

Her eyebrows raised higher and higher as she observed the evidence of how thoroughly John had made love to her.

Her red gown was strewn across the floor.

One of her stiletto heels was dangling precariously from the windowsill.

Her panties were draped over the headboard.

And her bra – Joss' brows nearly reached her hairline – was twirling in a slow circle from a gigantic ceiling fan easily twenty feet over their heads.

"I can get that down, Carter." Reese walked out of the kitchen, "but I actually kind of like it up there."

"It is nice," Joss agreed as the delicate fabric made lacy patterns on the wall as the fan turned slowly around, "very nice," she repeated as her eyes slowly went up from John's bare feet, to the black silk pants slung low on his narrow hips, to his broad shoulders and finally to that strong, beautiful face and those gorgeous eyes that were looking at her as though nothing else existed.

"Hungry, Detective?" John asked as he slowly crossed the room.

"Starved," and Joss knew she was hungry for more than just food, as John sat down beside her.

"I made that recipe you have on your refrigerator door," he said shyly. "The one you tore out of a magazine during our last Fright Night a few weeks ago."

She raised an eyebrow. "That was for Christmas, John. And Christmas isn't until next Sunday."

Taking her hand, John slowly shook his head. "I don't know about that. Santa brought me," his eyes shone with happiness, and love, "everything I wanted last night, Joss."

"Everything?" she whispered.

"Everything," he nodded.

Joss nodded slowly. "I think you're right. Santa brought me everything I wanted last night, too, John."

Smiling, she cupped his cheek as tears sprang to his eyes. "I'm glad you got what you wanted, too, Joss."

They gazed at each other for a long time, then Joss chuckled as the oven made a ringing sound.

"Do we have to eat right away, John?"

"No." he trailed a finger along her throat. "I can always reheat it."

"Good." She slid her other hand along the waistband of his silk pants. "I'd like to learn a little bit more about how my 'present' works."

"I don't know, Joss. You," he smiled as her hand went slowly up his chest, "did a pretty good job of getting it to work at a 'high performance' level last night."

"Well, but there are all those 'options', John. And I'd love to see how it responds," she outlined his lips, "in more than one language."

"That could take some time, but I think you'll find, Joss," he cupped her face, "that it has a," his eyes shone again with happiness, love, and Joss knew as her breath caught, commitment, "a lifetime guarantee."

Now tears sprung to her eyes, but as she leaned forward to kiss him, John raised his other hand skyward. "Wait, Carter," he smirked.

Joss gave him that look as the ceiling fan slowly brought her dangling bra towards them. "Really, John?"

"I'm starting a new tradition, Detective."

He brushed his lips gently against hers as the bra passed over their heads, then Reese pulled her into his arms and kissed her senseless.

"I like new traditions, John," Joss sighed.

"Me, too," he murmured. "Have I ever told you about the 'Twelve Days of Joss-mas'? I guess you wouldn't," he smirked, "I made it up as I was making breakfast."

"No," she chuckled, "but I can't wait to find out. Merry Christmas, John."

"Merry, Merry Christmas, Joss."

They sank back into the bed and began creating a lifetime of new traditions together.

A/N: Mistletoe attaches itself and penetrates a host plant, drawing water and nutrients from it. While it can dominate and over time, kill the host plant, mistletoe has also been credited with improving bio-diversity as birds and other creatures bring different seeds and plant life into the surrounding area as they eat the mistletoe's leaves and berries.

Long associated with virility and fertility, the tradition of kissing under the mistletoe arose in the 18th century, where a man could kiss any woman under the mistletoe and a woman would have bad luck if she refused the kiss. Since John and Joss are creating their own, modern traditions, which apparently includes Joss never wearing a bra in John's apartment ever again, (that made me laugh out loud, wolfmusic218!) I would bet that they wouldn't be bound by those old ways! ;)

I wonder if one of the Twelve Days of Joss-mas includes her telling John how she knows about that 'moldy old library' and how they get their information – that should be an interesting talk!

Thanks especially to the Mi Amore folks for their never ending support and boundless talent.

Joy, peace, love and happiness to everyone in the New Year! Thanks again!


End file.
